Damned
by chromed dragon
Summary: While pursuing a suspect, Elliot is attacked, but it has unexpected adverse side effects. Will Elliot be able to deal with his new problem? Can Olivia save her partner before its too late? E/O eventually, some violence. A/U to be on the safe side.
1. Chapter 1

This is a crazy idea I just came up with before I fell asleep last night. A very weird idea, but let me know what you think.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

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Elliot and Olivia arrived at the front door of Sam Peters, who was suspected of tying up 23-year-old Sara Owens in the woods to a tree and raping her. She did not survive the ambulance ride and all the evidence pointed to Sam. The detectives were here to arrest him.

"Sam, it's the police! Open this door or we'll have to break it down!" Elliot shouted with his gun ready in one hand. Olivia was right behind him with her gun ready to back him up. When Sam did not come to open the door, Elliot flashed Olivia the signal with his other hand and they kicked the door open. The apartment was a mess. Many papers, books, and other items were scattered, but Sam Peters was nowhere to be found.

"Clear!" Olivia shouted from a room down the hall.  
"Clear!" Elliot checked the bedroom and found nothing but a terrible mess. "He's gone, El." Olivia caught up to Elliot in Sam's living room.

"I'm going to check out a few rooms."  
"I'll be right behind you." Elliot walked carefully to the suspect's bathroom and approached the closed door suspiciously.  
"Sam, are you in there? I'm going to kick down the door if you don't come out!" Elliot looked back at Olivia, who smiled and nodded her head to assure her she was ready. He kicked the door open and stared unexpectedly into the bloodshot eyes of a feral dog with bared fangs.

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It all happened in a blur, but it seemed the dog had been sitting there and preparing for the detectives to find it. When Elliot opened that door, the dog was ready and lunged for the detective's shoulder. The force of the jump knocked Elliot to the ground. The dog's fangs and claws tore his shirt and skin while Olivia pointed her gun at the dog.  
"Elliot!" Olivia screamed as the beast tore into her partner.  
"Liv, shoot it!" he cried while struggling with the feral beast on the ground. Olivia pulled the trigger a few times and pumped the dog full of lead but it only seemed to stun the beast.

"Elliot, it's not working!" Elliot kicked the dog across the room and grabbed Olivia's hand.  
"In here!" Elliot and Olivia ran into the room next to them and locked the door. Elliot nearly collapsed once in the room and Olivia finally got to see the brutal wounds on his shoulder. As she touched it, he winced.  
"El, you've lost a lot of blood; I need to call a bus." Olivia screamed as she heard the dog scratching the other side of the door with its claws. "Elliot!"  
"That's one helluva husky, Liv. He'll get bored. Make sure you call Animal Control, too." Olivia nodded her head while she dispatched 911 and Animal Control to Sam's apartment.  
"I hope they get here very soon. I shot that monster 3 times and it didn't die, Elliot. What do you make of that?"  
"Resilience? I guess he has a strong will to live." A thud from the other side of the door startled both of them. The sound of wood breaking scared them even more. Elliot reached for his gun, but discovered the holster empty.

"Damn!" he cried. "My gun must've fallen out when that dog tackled me to the ground."

"My gun's pretty much empty. I nearly emptied a full round on it. Is there something here we can use to defend ourselves until Animal Control arrives?" As Elliot began to sit up, Olivia placed her hands on his body.  
"Stay there and don't move. If you move, you'll make your injuries worse, okay?" Elliot shook his head.

"Be careful, Liv." Olivia searched the room for anything useful, but was unsuccessful. Elliot looked to his right and underneath the bed he was laying next to was a dagger. He crawled over and reached with his hand to grab it. The dagger was very dusty, but beautiful. Underneath the coat of dust revealed a hilt adorned with jewels and silver.

Another crack in the door allowed the vicious dog to break through and its target was Elliot.

"Elliot!" Olivia cried as she witnessed the scene between her partner and the dog. Elliot grasped the knife tightly in his hand and thrust it into the wild dog's chest. It backed away from him, hissed, and ran out the room quickly. A medic followed by an animal control officer suddenly barged into the room.

"We received a call about a wild dog and an officer down. Where is he?" the officer asked. Elliot's vision became hazy and his body was on fire.  
"The dog left the room quickly… didn't you see him?" he whispered.  
"We didn't see a dog. Are you okay, sir?" the medic asked while applying a bandage to the wound on Elliot's shoulder. Elliot nodded his head but passed out. "Sir, hang on!" Elliot was led out of Sam's apartment on a gurney and Olivia rode in the ambulance with him on the way to the hospital. She called Cragen and informed him what happened earlier.

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Yeah, it's weird and I think you know where this is headed. Reviews are appreciated! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! Sorry I've been rather lazy with the updating! I wanted to put this up before I headed out for Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone~!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters. Just for entertainment. I still want EO for Christmas though.

Read, Enjoy, and Review! :)

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While Elliot headed immediately to surgery, Olivia waited out in the hall with Captain Cragen.

"What happened Olivia?" he asked.  
"I'm not sure. It all just happened so… fast. One moment, we were checking out the perp's home and the next minute I see Elliot on the ground tackling a dog."

"We have Fin and Munch working on Sam's whereabouts. He couldn't have gotten far. When we catch him, we'll ask him about his dog."

"Elliot stabbed the dog before help arrived. We'll probably find the dog sooner or later. It ran before anyone else saw it."  
"Elliot will be okay, Olivia. You should go home and get some rest," Cragen said as he phone began to ring.  
"Cragen. What? We'll be over." He clicked his phone shut in a hurry and looked very much concerned.

"Captain, what is it?" Olivia asked.  
"Fin just called. Sam's body just turned up. He was found naked in an alley with a fatal stab wound to the chest. A silver dagger decorated with jewels was found at the scene lodged in his chest." Olivia stared at Cragen in disbelief.

"What?"  
"This case just keeps getting weird. I'm going home. You should do the same." Cragen put on his coat and walked down the hallway. Olivia didn't want to go home yet. If Elliot was not okay, she wouldn't be able to rest.

"Olivia Benson?" a doctor asked as he approached her from down the hall.  
"Yes?" she replied, standing to greet him.  
"You're Elliot Stabler's partner, correct?"  
"Yes. How is he?"  
"He's doing just fine now. The dog that attacked him must've been pretty pissed off. He's got a bunch of stitches, which will have to come out in a few weeks. He needs to be resting; he is not to be working." Olivia nodded her head.

"He'll complain, but I'll make sure to tell him. Thank you. May I see him?" she asked.

"Of course. He's unconscious right now, but you can see him. He's resting in Room 5A down the hall on the right."

"Thank you." Olivia walked to Room 5A and slowly opened the door. Elliot looked so peaceful as he lay there in his unconscious state. She sat next to his bed and watched him resting. She glanced at the several stitches on his right shoulder.

"Elliot, I have something I need to tell you. I hesitated when I saw that dog. I was a split second too late. I got scared, Elliot. Yes, I got scared. Because I got scared, you were injured. My emotions got in the way. You said that if our feelings ever interfered with the job, we couldn't be partners. Well, I'm certainly not worthy to be your partner anymore. I'll talk to you later about this when you wake up, Elliot." Olivia touched his hand to reassure him before she left his room. She couldn't sleep there in the same room with him. She needed time alone to think about the things she said.

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Elliot awakened after midnight in a feverous sweat alone. The area that was stitched on his shoulder became inflamed with pain as he started to thrash about in his bed. He extended his shaking arms in front of him like as if he were reaching out to someone.

"Liv…help… me," he whispered. His chest began to burn and he couldn't reach the call button. Something struggled within his being; something inside was awakening and changing him. He threw up his arms, released a blood-curdling howl, and lost consciousness.

Unsure of how much time had passed, Elliot leapt from his bed only to quickly discover he was naked and his clothes lay in shreds by the bed.

"What happened?" He wrapped his sheet around himself and pushed the call button for his nurse. A few minutes later, she came in.

"Is everything okay, Mr. Stabler?" she asked.  
"Who was in my room last night?"  
"I have the visitor sheet right here," she replied as she grabbed the board from the side of his bed. "I believe a Ms. Benson was here last night around 10:30. Why do you ask?"  
"It's nothing. Thank you." The nurse nodded her head as she closed the door. "I'll bring you another gown."  
"Thank you." Elliot reached for his cell phone and called Olivia.  
"Olivia?"

"El?"

"Hey, what are you doing right now?"  
"Nothing really. We're all baffled by this case. First, Sam turns up missing. Then we get a surprise by his pet, but then we find Sam hours later in an alley naked with a stab wound to the chest and the murder weapon was at the scene. We rushed the results and we found your prints on the knife." Elliot's chest sunk.  
"What do you mean? Are you saying I stabbed our perp?" he asked.

"We tested it three times to be sure. I can't believe it either, El. I saw you stab a dog, not a man yesterday. Cragen will want to talk to you soon."

"Can you come over here when you're finished? I need to talk to you about something."  
"Sure, El. I'll be over in a little while."  
"Thanks." He closed his phone and placed it next to his bed. He folded his arms and began to fall asleep.

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Okay, I think you all know where I'm eventually going with this.... I wanted to try something different from the average EO story. Review please to let me know what you think and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!!! 3


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, I couldn't put this down when I began to type this. I had so many ideas, and I couldn't exactly sleep. I guess it could be that I'm excited it's Christmas! LOL. Read, enjoy, and review please!

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, but I want EO (just like everyone else does) so I'll make it happen if Dick Wolf doesn't meet our demands. :)

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It was after 1 PM when Olivia stopped to visit Elliot. He was still asleep when she entered his room.

"Elliot… I'm here," she whispered as she brushed her hand against his forehead. He was burning up. Elliot's eyes fluttered for a moment to adjust to the light before they fully opened.  
"Liv, what are you doing here?" he softly asked.

"You said you needed to talk to me. Your voice sounded desperate on the phone. Is everything all right, El?" Elliot shook her head.  
"I think there is something wrong with me. I woke up this morning naked in my bed. My gown was ripped to shreds in a pile next to the bed. I can't explain any of it. You were here last night and I just wanted to know if you noticed anything strange."  
"Elliot, I'm sure everything is just fine. When I was here, you were just sleeping peacefully. I can't imagine why someone would rip your clothes up like that. Are you sure you're not pulling my leg?" she asked. Elliot threw his hands up in frustration.  
"You think I'm joking, Liv? I'm not." Olivia stifled the laugh she was holding back.

"Okay, okay. Changing the subject now. There's something else we need to talk about."  
"Shoot." Olivia grabbed a chair nearby and sat next to Elliot's bed.

"I wanted to talk to you about this first before I discussed it with Cragen." Elliot shot Olivia a baffled look.

"What does Cragen have to do with anything?"  
"I think we need to change things up for a little while, El. Yesterday, I hesitated with my gun and you are suffering the consequences of my actions. I allowed my emotions to interfere, El. We can't be partners anymore."  
"What?!"  
"I'm not leaving the precinct, Elliot. We'll just be switching partners for a while."  
"Liv, please…" he whispered. "None of this is your fault. Stop blaming yourself every time I get injured on the job. Shit happens, okay?" Olivia shook her head.  
"No. This one is my fault. You would be much better off with someone who didn't mix up their emotions at work." Olivia felt tears sting in her eyes, but she held them back. There was nothing to cry about and she certainly wouldn't cry in front of her former partner.

"Liv…" Elliot said as he noticed her eyes water. "It's okay. Everything is all right." He reached for her hand and caressed her smooth skin.  
"El, I have to go." She shrugged his hand from hers.

"Liv, you don't have to do this," he begged as Olivia stood up and walked to the door.

"I have to do this for both of us." She opened the door and stopped for a moment to look back at Elliot.

"Olivia, please."  
"See you next Monday, Elliot." She walked out of his room and closed the door silently. Once on the other side of the door, Olivia broke down into quiet sobs as she headed down the hallway to leave the hospital.  
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Elliot screamed. His anger wasn't aimed towards Olivia, but at himself. _Why do I allow her to feel this way? I can do better! _He lifted a fist and punched the wall behind him.  
"Damn it!" he shouted. Elliot didn't feel any pain, but he was not aware of his strength. He looked at the hole, which was about the size of his head, and gasped. "Fuck!" _I know I didn't punch the wall that hard! What the hell is going on here?_ He wallowed in his silence for a few seconds before he heard a strange sound. He lifted his head and attempted to hear the distant sound. When he realized what the sound was, he sighed.  
"Olivia, don't." She was crying and he could hear it. To hear Olivia Benson crying broke his heart. "Please don't cry," he whispered, even though he was aware she couldn't hear him. His nurse came in to check up on him.

"Mr. Stabler, how are you feeling today?" she asked in her overly cheery voice.  
"I feel like shit. When can I leave?" he asked.  
"The doctor said you should be fine and you can leave this evening."  
"Great," Elliot replied. The nurse gave him some pain medication to take. Elliot swallowed his pills quickly and downed the full glass of water.

"Easy. I don't want you to choke on your meds."  
"I'm fine." The nurse was about to leave when she noticed the hole in the wall.  
"Mr. Stabler, what did you do?"  
"I didn't mean to…" he said, at a loss for words. "I have anger issues, okay? Just add it to my bill. I don't want any problems."  
"Okay," she replied. "I'll be in to check up on you before you leave." The nurse left Elliot's room and closed the door. Elliot released a sigh of relief when she was gone. His medication kicked in soon after and he fell asleep.

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Around 7PM, the doctor entered Elliot's room to examine his shoulder one last time.  
"Mr. Stabler, I just want to check up on you one last time before you head home." The doctor examined his stitches and nodded his head. "Stitches look better. I'm going to tell you not to show up at work for a week. I'm prescribing bed rest and these pain meds. You can't be actively working, especially heavy lifting or your stitches will break. I don't want to see you for another couple weeks, okay?" Elliot nodded his head. "Good. Have a good evening, Mr. Stabler."  
"Thanks," Elliot replied. The doctor nodded and left the room so Elliot could change his clothes. When he was done, he signed himself out and headed to his apartment. Sleep was an excellent idea. While he was driving home, he wanted to call Olivia, but he knew she wouldn't feel like talking to him right now. Once in his apartment, Elliot placed his bag on the floor in his bedroom and collapsed on the bed.

After midnight, Elliot once again awakened in a feverous sweat. He felt like he was on fire. His stitches were burning. He headed to the bathroom to splash some water on his face to cool himself. He flipped the switch on and gasped. His stitches had fallen out while he slept and his wound had nearly completely healed.  
"What the hell?" he asked aloud while he examined his wound. "It's completely healed." Again, he wanted to call Olivia, but he didn't want to bother her. _I'm the last person she wants to talk to_, he thought. As he walked back to the bed, a sharp pain in his chest nearly crippled him. He fell on his knees and grabbed at his chest.  
"I can't breathe!" he cried. He reached for his cell phone, flipped it open, and pushed for Olivia's number on speed dial. It rang three times before Elliot received her voicemail:

"_You've reached Olivia Benson, but I'm not here right now. Leave a message at the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."_ BEEP!

"Liv, it's me…Elliot. I need your help… please…" Elliot dropped the phone when the pain in his chest flared up intensely. He released a painful howl and fell unconscious in the middle of his bedroom.

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He roamed the dark city streets alone. He needed to find her. He needed her. He faintly picked up her sandalwood scent as he tracked it across town. People wandering the streets this late gave him puzzled looks and he couldn't figure out why. A homeless man approached him and fed him his cheeseburger from McDonald's.

"Here you go, fella. God's creatures need to be taken care of, too." He scarfed the juicy burger down and ran off. "You're welcome!" the man shouted. The city became a blur as he ran to find Olivia. The sandalwood scent led him to her apartment and he jumped and climbed up the fire escape. He sat at her windowsill and saw her. Her beauty was unprecedented and her scent was overpowering. The urges and ancient instincts grew stronger, but he didn't want to scare her away. Olivia sat on her bed reading a book with many candle lit around her. He noticed she was only wrapped in a blue towel. He concluded she must have had a shower just recently. She sat there reading the first book of the "Twilight" series quietly. He lifted a paw and tapped the window lightly. The sound startled Olivia as she jumped from the bed. She covered herself and reached for her glock, but only saw a husky sitting by the window.  
"You scared me. I thought you were some pervert," she said as she opened her window and let him in. Immediately, he drowned her in kisses. "How did you get up here? You're a very friendly dog." She giggled as the dog continued to be exceptionally friendly towards her. "Down boy." Immediately, he obeyed and sat down.

"Obedient, too." She looked for a collar, but saw a gold crucifix on a chain hooked around his neck.  
"Your owner must be very religious, sweetie, but I don't see a name." He looked up at her and stared into Olivia's lovely brown eyes. When Olivia caught his gaze, she couldn't pull away for some strange reason. His icy blue eyes wouldn't allow her to pull away.  
"Your eyes," she whispered, completely memorized in a trance. "Your eyes are gorgeous. They remind me of someone I know." She smiled at the thought of Elliot. "Why don't I name you Elliot for now until I can find your real owner?" He barked excitedly and she placed a finger on his snout to calm him down.  
"Easy, boy. You're so excited about your name. Elliot it is then. I'm not really allowed pets, so I don't want my landlord to find out, okay? You really like your name." She walked into the bathroom and Elliot followed her.  
"I'll be right out. I'm going to change." Elliot whimpered, but she shushed him gently. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Just wait right here." She closed the door gently while Elliot waited right outside. He sat there in the same spot until she came out dressed comfortably in black sweatpants and a white tank top.  
"I need to get some sleep, buddy. I have to be at work early tomorrow," she said while she stifled a yawn from escaping. She sat on the bed and Elliot followed her.  
"I should make you sleep on the couch, but I guess you can sleep here for a little bit." She pulled the covers away and curled up underneath them while Elliot curled up in a ball next to her. A familiar musky scent brought a smile to her face.  
"You smell good, Elliot…" she whispered as she began to fall asleep. When she was asleep, Elliot hopped from her bed and curled up on her couch in her living room where he slept peacefully.

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6AM came fast for both of them. Elliot awakened in a panicked state naked on Olivia's couch. He was naked and he absolutely had no idea how he got here. Last thing he remembered was the phone call her made to her.

"Shit!" he cried once he realized exactly where he was. "How did I get here?" He looked around to make sure Olivia wasn't awake yet. Luckily, for him, she was still asleep and he desperately searched for clothes to put on before she found him like this. A blue t-shirt with "Benson" on the back caught his eye in on her coffee table. He necklace broke as he pulled the shirt over his vulnerable body, but he didn't notice. Olivia's shirt was a bit small for Elliot, but he thought it would have to suffice. He found a pair of NYPD sweats lying in the doorway of her bedroom. He needed them badly, but he risked waking her. He also risked his former partner seeing him naked and he didn't want her to see that. He tiptoed across the room and swiped the shorts from the floor. Olivia tossed in her sleep and he stopped dead in his tracks. _Oh shit… _He ran to the door, unlocked the deadbolt, and ran down the hall after slamming her door shut. As soon as the door slammed, Olivia bolted awake. She ran out to her kitchen and couldn't figure out how her door came unlocked from the inside, but Elliot was nowhere to be seen.

"Elliot?" she asked, but Elliot did not come to her. "Elliot!" She sat down on her couch with a baffled look on her face when she saw something glistening in the morning sun.  
"That necklace…" she whispered as she picked it up to examine it. _He left it here… _She placed the necklace on her coffee table when she noticed her shirt was missing.  
"Sonofabitch! My shirt!" If someone broke into her apartment, it appeared whoever it was only stole her shirt. "Great, I have a perv who has a clothing fetish with my clothes!" She would file a complaint when she arrived to the precinct, but she was going to get ready for work first. _Munch would have a field day with this_, she thought. _They're not going to take me seriously. I'll never hear the end of Munch's conspiracy theories on this one. We'll see. I'll catch this bastard. _Olivia walked into her bathroom, closed the door, and began her usual morning routine for work.

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Okay! It's review time! :) I know this story is weird! If anyone was confused, PM me and I'll clear it up right away. I need to figure out how to go from here to get some EO! Ideas are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Finally! Another chapter! I haven't written anything for a while and I apologize for my long absence. I lost the inspiration to write due to a couple personal issues, but now I'm just getting back into the swing of things. I'm getting excited for another season of SVU- I really hope this is our year fellow EO shippers!

To clear up some minor confusion, yes- Elliot IS a wolf (but looks like a grey husky dog) and yes he was bitten by a wolf, hence the werewolf theme I'm running with.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own them. If I did, Elliot would've already hooked up with Olivia. But I don't- DW does! E

Oh yeah: enjoy! RR&R!

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The thought of catching a cab sounded like a good idea as he left Olivia's apartment, but Elliot soon realized he had no money on him. He ran down the street as fast as his legs would carry him. The streets and the confused faces of strangers blurred with his swift legs as he ran. He stopped when he realized he was already in the middle of Central Park. _What the hell?_ he wondered. Olivia's apartment was a few miles away from Central Park. He was always pretty fast, but he knew he was not the Roadrunner. The world had been a blur while he ran and he thought it was only the adrenaline pumping through his veins. To calm his nerves, he jogged to his apartment the rest of the way.

Olivia entered the precinct and everyone sensed how disgruntled she was.

"Morning, Olivia," Munch said at his desk with his cup of bitter coffee and a copy of the _New York Times_. "Another bad date last night?" When she didn't say anything, he looked over at Fin and both knew it would be a very long day. Olivia sat at her desk and looked at the empty desk across from her. She missed Elliot, but he was spending the day resting in bed on doctor's orders.  
"You seem distracted today, Liv. What's on your mind?" Fin asked as he approached her desk. Olivia was at least willing to talk to Fin.  
"I had a dog in my apartment last night, but I woke up to find that a few articles of clothing were missing and my door was unlocked from the inside. The dog was also gone."  
"Maybe you should talk to Cragen about this." Olivia shook her head.  
"No, I don't want anyone else to know about this. I don't think the perp will come back and if he does, my glock will greet him kindly."  
"Are you sure you don't want a protective detail? I can get you one. It's no big deal at all."  
"I'll be fine, Fin. Thanks though." Fin walked back to his desk and sifted through his paperwork. Munch looked at Olivia, then looked at Fin and raised his eyebrow.

"What was that about?"  
"She had a terrible date. Asshole stood her up. Don't ask about it," he lied. Munch nodded his head and continued to read the morning newspaper.

Elliot entered his apartment and quickly closed the door. The weird looks he briefly received as he ran down the street mortified him. I guess a guy wearing a tight shirt and shorts would raise some eyebrows, he figured. He needed to figure out what was happening to him and he needed some answers fast. He sat down on his couch and looked at his cell phone. _Liv…_ He flipped it open, only to close it. _I can't talk to her. I'm so embarrassed._ Elliot walked into his bathroom and ripped Olivia's clothes off his body as he stepped into the shower. As he caught a glance of himself in the mirror, he realized the gold crucifix around his neck was missing.  
"My necklace! I don't remember taking it off; I never take it off, but…" He gasped in horror when another realization dawned on him: he was wearing it last night when he changed. "Shit. I was wearing it last night when I fell unconscious…. Oh, God! Liv's place! It's with her!" Elliot lathered up with the soap in a hurry in the shower, shut off the water, and stepped out with his towel. She would know it belonged to him; his initials were finely engraved on the back. It would only be a matter of time before she figured it all out. She would assume he broke into her apartment and stole her clothes. _Great_, he thought. _Good cop gets arrested for breaking and entering into his former partner's apartment with a fetish for her clothes, but he has no memory of how he got there in the first place. Just fucking great._ He got dressed and planned how he would get his necklace back without appearing suspicious.

Around noon, Olivia pulled the gold crucifix from her pocket and dangled it in front of her. _Pretty necklace_, she thought. She traced her fingers along the edges and fine details until she looked at the back. The tiny initials 'ES' were etched finely into the gold cross.  
"Whatcha looking at, Liv?" Fin asked as he walked by. Olivia, startled by his movements, quickly shoved the crucifix into her pocket. "Nothing."  
"Sure looked like something to me," he replied with a smile. Olivia sighed and slowly revealed the gold crucifix to Fin.  
"Looks nice, Liv. Your date left this for you as a consolation gift?"  
"Not exactly. When I had that dog in my apartment, this was around its neck. Look, it has the initials 'ES' carved on the back." Fin was about to open his mouth, but the door to Cragen's office opened.

"Liv, my office," he barked. Olivia placed the necklace in her desk drawer and glanced at Fin for a brief moment as she stood up from her desk chair.  
"Whatever you're thinking, tell me when I get back," she said as she walked to Cragen's office. Fin went back over to his desk and continued typing up his paperwork.  
"You wanted to see me, Captain?" she asked as she closed the door.  
"How are you coming along with the Owens case?"  
"Fin and I are getting lots of cold leads. We're not getting anywhere," she replied. Cragen pulled out from underneath his desk a container of cherry twizzlers.  
"Want one?" he asked as he grabbed a few for himself.  
"No thanks." Olivia took a seat in front of his desk and bit her lip nervously.  
"About this case: I want you to pay Elliot a visit. CSU found prints on that knife and I want to know why."  
"Captain, I was there when it happened. Elliot stabbed a feral dog and not our perp."  
"Talk to Elliot. See if he remembers anything from that night."  
"Yes, sir."

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Elliot paced back and forth frantically in his apartment thinking of a solution to his terrible problem until his phone broke his concentration. When he saw Olivia's name on his phone, he panicked.

"Stabler," he said as he tried to calm himself down.  
"Elliot, I'm coming over to your place. Is that all right? I was thinking you may want some lunch, so I thought I would bring it to you."  
"Since when did I deserve room service, Liv?" he asked with laughter mixed in his low voice.  
"I felt like being nice. I also wanted to talk to you about what I said in the hospital a few nights ago."  
"How long til you're here? I just got out of bed a little while ago. I'm afraid I don't appear presentable for you, Liv," he lied. Olivia laughed and her voice filled him up with happiness that swelled from the base of his toes all the way to his head.  
"El, I'm just a few minutes away."  
"Okay, then I'll see you in a few, Liv. Thanks."  
"For what?" she asked.  
"For being my partner and my friend." Before Olivia could reply, he gently closed his phone and stared at the pile of shredded clothes that did not belong to him. He quickly pushed them to the bottom of the hamper in his bathroom. All evidence of whatever happened needed to vanish. He threw on a pair of gray jogging pants and a white t-shirt and heard a knock on the door. He rushed to the door and opened it to see Olivia standing with a box of pizza.

"Hi," he choked out. She was wearing that blue shirt he loved underneath her brown leather jacket. She was a Goddess, always gorgeous.  
"Hey, El." she replied. "I come bearing gifts for you." Her lips curled into a smile as Elliot placed the pizza box on the counter.  
"I see that. What did you bring me?"  
"A large pepperoni pizza from Lombardi's. It was on the way."  
"Nice! Thanks, Liv," Elliot said as he placed a few slices on a plate for her.  
"You're welcome. You wanna sit on the couch?" she asked.  
"Sure," he replied as he fixed himself a plate. "You want anything to drink?"  
"You have any tea, El?" Elliot couldn't help but smile.  
"You still drink that stuff, Liv?"  
"Yeah. Tea is good for you. You should try it some time. You don't have any?"  
"Of course I do. You're the only one who will drink it," he said with a smirk while he brought a bottle of Lipton Iced Tea and a glass of water to the living room.

While both detectives ate their lunch, Olivia kept stealing glances from Elliot when he wasn't looking and smiled when he looked at her.  
"What's up? You're all smiles today, Liv."  
"Oh, it's nothing," she replied while she took another bite of her pizza. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about a few things."  
"You wanted to talk about what you said in the hospital a few nights ago." Olivia sipped her tea slowly before she spoke again. When she placed the bottle on his coffee table, her eyes met his icy blue ones and she couldn't move a muscle in her body.  
"Liv?" Elliot asked with a hint of concern in his voice. Olivia felt her cheeks burning. For the first time, Elliot Stabler caught her staring at his eyes.  
"I'm sorry," she replied. "It's just… your eyes are very blue today."  
"Oh," was all Elliot could say.

"Anyway, I decided that I wouldn't tell Cragen I didn't want another partner. I only wanted to do that because want you to know you can count on me, even if I am coming up short in your eyes."  
"Liv, I've never felt that way about you."  
"You say that, El, but I know you really don't mean it," she replied.  
"Yes, I do. I mean every word, Liv. I trust you. Always have. Always will." His last words echoed in Olivia's mind. _I trust you. Always have. Always will_. As those words flowed from his lips, Olivia noticed that unavoidable special shine to his eyes that was unmistakably familiar. As Elliot reached to embrace her hand, her cell phone rang.  
"Benson," she spoke like a stone. "He's right here. I'm still asking him questions." Elliot gave Olivia a questioning look while she endured the conversation.  
"If he doesn't know anything, then he doesn't know anything. We will have to close the Owens case." Elliot reached for her hand once more and held it gently in his and she smiled in response to his warm touch.  
"I need to ask him one more question and I'll be right down." She closed her phone shut and stared at Elliot.  
"What was that all about, Liv?" Elliot asked.  
"I was supposed to ask if you remembered anything from the night in Sam Peters's apartment. Have you remembered anything since then, Elliot?" He shook his head.  
"My memory is still fuzzy, but I know Cragen wants to know why my prints on the knife CSU found at the scene. I stabbed a dog."  
"Unless you believe in the supernatural, are you saying our perp was a lycanthrope?" Olivia asked, half joking yet half serious.  
"It's possible because…" he stopped himself. He couldn't tell her about the strange events that were happening in his life. He couldn't tell her about the stitches, the waking up in her apartment, the super speed, or his excellent hearing. He couldn't even explain these strange things himself; things were far more complicated than it seemed.  
"What, El?" Elliot shook his head.  
"I know it's close to Halloween, Liv, but are you really asking that question?"  
"Autopsy came back from Warner earlier today; the hairs on our perp's head and the blood on the knife recovered by CSU didn't belong to him."  
"How can that be?"  
"The hair matched a member of the _Canidae_ family, specifically _Canis Lupus_."  
"Liv, what does that mean?"  
"Warner tested the results three times to be sure, but the results show that our perp was a Gray Wolf." Elliot nearly spat out his beer in response to Olivia's statement.  
"That can't be right."  
"The hairs were plucked directly from his scalp. DNA doesn't lie, Elliot." He felt the color drain from his face and hoped Olivia didn't notice. _A wolf bit me and I am… damned. Is it possible to break this curse?_

* * *

DUH DUH DUH! :) To be continued!


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